Bombs for Chiropractors

Assaults on their livelihood are an old story to chiropractors. Their curative technique (chiefly spinal manipulation) rouses the ire of many a medical man. The American Medical Association has long waged bitter warfare against chiropractic. In five States chiropractors may be arrested for chiropracticing without a medical license.*

Last month a new kind of attack came to harass the chiropractors of Paterson, N. J. By last week it was indisputable that someone was making a systematic attempt to rob them not simply of their livelihoods but of their lives. On July 17 Chiropractor Alfred Post took his automobile to a garage for repairs. A mechanic lifted the engine hood, had a small bomb explode in his face. Week later, too hurried to drink his usual luncheon malted milkshake at his office, Dr. Post gave it to a Negro elevator operator Last week the Negro was still partially paralyzed from the effects of strychnine in the drink.

Few days later someone snapped an electric light switch in the joint office of Chiropractors Charles Baumler and Peter J. Barbour. Two bombs attached to the light system splintered the office, injuring Dr. Barbour and four patients. In an adjoining office a typist named Helen Bosland "felt something snap" in her head. Afterwards she complained of severe headaches. One day last week she died, of sinus trouble and heart dilation. Week ago Chiropractor William Cooper was awakened by a baby crying next door, got up and turned on the lights of the bathroom in the rear of his house. He heard someone scurry down the driveway to his garage. Next morning he knew better than to investigate when he found the hood of his automobile open, wires dangling near the spark plugs. Detectives detached a ten-inch nitroglycerin bomb.

Paterson's chiropractors still kept their offices open last week, but they were baffled and afraid. Unaware of any personal or professional grudge bitter enough to have provoked such terrorism, they and police believed that some Paterson paranoiac had conceived a mortal hate & fear of chiropractors, set out to exterminate them.

*Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Mississippi.

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